Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-11-07


ceptions; time is fitting too fast Can you
not allow me to say what have to say, and
you remain quiet; and then you say what YOU
have to say, and remain quiet?u
every easily. 1t was you that interrupted
me, you remember. But let that pass; am
listening with hundred ears"
"Oh, very well, then Here we are But
had better begin at the first Your house,
as l have intimated, has been pretty thor
oughly searched. entered it, Mr.. Bradley,
soon after you left it, and have been at work
ever since; and | was not afraid of Mrs
Bradley's returning, because the habits Of
your family have been a subject of quite close
study to me for some months. and | knew
that when Mrs Bradley went in town she
always spent the day there. knew also that
the children were away in the country, and
that your wife was herself keeping house dur
ing their absence You perceive that am
posted"
avery much so.n
"Yes, It is a good part of year since
began watching your monthly trips to the
factory. Some slip was sure to come, for
that is human nature. At last human ma
ture repaid my trust, and l caught you nap
ping"
How guilty you make me feel! | suppose
that you deem yourself an instrument APP
pointed by the angelic powers To find out
wicked cashiers
Not as bad as that; | will call myself
simply a burglar, and leave the angelic pow.
ers to the modern business man Well, as
was saying, searched your house pretty
thoroughly / could find no money, and was
oh IN fagt ,1-hol
resting on this telephone, the conception of
consulting You about the matter flashed
through nv mind 1t seemed a venturesome
experiment, but rung up the central office,
got connected with you, and here we are
talking the matter over quietly. shall soon
be through now. VIII you continue listen
ingg
al am all attention
sGood. / knew you were a man of quick
wits, and that probably you would refuse to
admit that the money is here SO l made few
preparatory arrangements before calling You
at the telephone. In fact, l foresaw | should
have to compel YOU in some way to reveal the
hiding place of that money; and this, Mr..
Bradley, is the disagreeable part of my task
l have never burned house down before
| but my mind is made up to burn yours down
| now unless you reveal To me right away
where that money is hidden. Yes, sir.
have just brought up several armsful of kind
ling wood from the cellar, and have piled it
| in the hallway and wet it with can of kero-
sene, so that it can all be touched off in min
ute. Now, without multiplying words
"Without multiplying words, Smith, defy
| you. Light the house, if you want to. You
have got hold of the wrong man this time
| yes, indeed"
| HFiddlesticlsl How you jump at conclu-
sion! Can't you let me finish before you ex-
| plode! Perhaps I'm not as dreadful as you
think
"Finish!-yes, if you ever will Are YOU
aware that you have been half an hour com
ing to tine pointi7
"A half hour of Interruptions"
swell, well; henceforth / am silent Let us
by all means get through with this business.
| You have thoroughly searched my house, and
| you have piled up several armfuls of kind
ling wood in the hail, with kerosene on it,
ready to touch off in minute; and here We
are, as you say, quietly talking the matter
over. What comes NEXT"
"What comes next is an alternative The
burning of your house, Mr.. Bradley, seems
quite needless, as well as disadvantageous to
us both. Here is the case: On the one hand
if you refuse to give up the money, and com,
pei me to burn the house, you'll lose both the
house and the money. On the other hand, il
you sensibly tell me where the greenbacks
are hidden, YOU will lose the money, it is true
but you will save the house. In either case
the money is lost; you cannot save your EN-,
! ployer's funds, whatever you do, and you
have simply to put that question aside. Well
put it aside. It now only remains for you tc
decide whether you will save your house OF
lose it, and 1 offer you that alternative
Does it appear a very difficult question to de
eide upon."
Smith, you were made for q logician, moi
a burglar. Your statement of the case quite
resembles a lawyers brief. and before you &C
any further l should like to ask you, if
may, whether your occupation has Away
been what it is at present, for you do mo-
talk like an-an'-
San outlaw!'
eyes, that's tin plain language. VIVA
is it that has brought you to the pass of piling
up kindling wood in other peoples houses
and threatening them with cOnflagratiol
after thirty minutes statement of alterna
| tivess-
"a sense of humor Did the absurdity O
the world and its conventions never strikt
youl l was born with an unusual dose O
that"
Pat there is imprisonment for life, ant
such little matters"
"That strikes NE as humorous too Thinl
of the conceit of locking person up for life
Of course it is a justifiable hardship, hut jus
think Of the vastness of conceit implied il
| one mans walking up to another and clappin;
him into prison for all his born days